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(ModeL) H. F. STEARNS & W. F. BIDWELL.

SPRING BOARD WAGON.

No. 249,687. Patented Nov. 15,1881.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. STEARNS AND WVILLIAM F. BIDWELL, ()F GLENS FALLS, N. Y.

SPRING-BOARD WAGON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,687, dated November 15, 1881.

(Model-l To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY F. STEARNS and WILLIAM F. BIDWELL, of Glens Falls, in the county of Warren and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spring-Board \Vagons, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an under-side perspective view of our improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a part of the same, taken through'the line 00 :r, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an under-side plan view, showing a modification of the improvement.

In this invention the under sides of the springboards are provided with torsion-springs,which are arranged to exert their force upwardly against the middle portion of the spring-boards, so as to arch the same and promote their elasticity, strength, and safety.

The invention consists in the combination, with the spring-boards, of torsion-springsin the manner herein described; also, in the peculiar devices herein described of adjusting thepressare of the torsion-springs.

A represents the head-block, B the rear axle, and C the spring-boards, of a wagon.

The boardsO are concaved or narrowed upon their inner edges from their ends toward their centers as shown in Fig. 1, to make the said boards more elastic at their centers, and stronger at their ends, where they are attached to the head block and axle. To the forward parts of the spring-boards G are secured the ends of a spring-rod, D, either by bolts E, passing through the said ends of the rod and through the said boards, as shown in Fig. 1, or the ends of the spring-rod D can be passed through the head-block Aand secured in place by nuts. The rod D, near the centers of the boards 0, is bent twice at right angles, so that its middle part will cross the space between the boards 0, and upon the center of the's'aidtransverse part of the said rod D is formed an arm or loop, F, projecting rearward and downward. To the rearward parts of the springboards 0, or to the rear axle, B, are attached, by bolts G or other suitable means, the ends of a corresponding spring-rod, H, which also is bent twice at right angles, so that its middle part will cross the space between the springboards 0. a little in the rear of and parallel with the middle part of the spring-rod D.

Upon the center of the transverse part of the spring-rod H is formed an arm or loop, I, projecting rearward and upward, so that when the said spring-rods D H are left free the arms F I will incline from each other at an angle. The ends of the transverse parts of the springs D H pass through and work in bearings in blocks J, attached to the centers of the under sides of the spring-boards G. The ends of the arms'or loops F I are drawn toward each other sequently their strength, is regulated by adj usting the nut of the bolt K to hold the arms F I at a greater or less distance from each other. If desired, the loop I may be made wider, and the loop F passed up through it, so that the ends of the said arms F I will rest upon each other, and thus put the springs D H under a torsion strain. In this case the torsion strain can be regulated by interposin g blocks between the ends of the arms or loops F I.

If desired, tubular rubber washers can be placed upon the parts of the spring-rods D H that pass through the bearing-blocks J, to prevent noise or rattling. For the same reason rubber packing-plates can be interposed between the spring-boards O and the head-block A and axle B, as shown in Fig. 1.

The body or seat risers are designed to be arched upon the lower side, and are secured at their ends by bolts to the spring-boardO upon the opposite side of and equally distant from the centers of the said spring-boards, so that the full elasticity of the centers of the said boards will be utilized.

The risers are not shown in the drawings.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 3. The combination, with the spring-boards Patent--- 0 and the torsion-springs D H, of the bearing- 1. The combination, with the spring-boards blocks J, substantially as herein shown and G, of the torsion-springsD B, when said springs described. 5 are provided, respectively, with central adj usting-loops, F I, as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with the central adjusting-loops, F I, springs D H, and spring-boards \Vitnesses: O, of the central adjusting-bolt, K, substan- J. N. OURVO, 1o tially as herein shown and described. ISAAC SMITH. 

